


REMARKS 

AT 

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE 

ON 

COMMENCEMENT 

BY 

HOWARD ELLIOTT 

On Receipt of the Honorary Degree 
of Doctor of Laws 



Middlebury, Vt., 
Wednesday, June 21, 1916 



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./ 9 / ^ 

I wish to express my profound thanks to the 
Trustees of Middlebury College for the honor confer- 
red on me to-day by this, the oldest college in the beau- 
tiful Green Mountain State. 

Founded in 1800, Middlebury is not so old, nor so 
large, as that college which, until to-day, was the only 
one to claim my loyal allegiance, — Harvard. I am a 
great believer in the usefulness of the smaller colleges 
located at a distance from congested centers of popula- 
tion, and near to Mother Earth. We all remember the 
story of Antaeus, who was so strong that he conquered 
all who came against him, — ^how his strength came from 
Mother Earth, and how Hercules finally overcame him 
when he lifted him from off the earth and thus prevented 
him from renewing his strength; and so it is important 
to get back to Nature if we are to keep up the virility of 
the American people. 

In 1800, when this college was founded. Harvard, 
founded in 1636, had a faculty of 12, and there were 210 
students, while Yale, founded in 1701, had a teaching 
staff of 11 and 217 students. In 1850 there were at 
Harvard 32 instructors and 604 students, and at Yale 43 
instructors and 531 students. 

Middlebury' s catalogue for the year just ending 
shows 43 names in the teaching and administrative staffs, 
343 undergraduates from 12 states, and foreign coun- 
tries, and 149 attending the summer school, — a total of 
492. Middlebury is showing a rational growth. , 

The earlier colleges in New England trained men to 
take a large part in shaping the future history of the 
United States. The influence of Harvard and Yale, 100 
years ago, was important and far-reaching, and they did 
great work with endowments, teaching staffs and facili- 
ties which seem meagre compared with the elaborate 
organizations of some of the great universities to-day, 
both private and state. 

In a recent edition of "Who's Who in America," 20 
per cent, of the names mentioned were men born in New 
England, and Vermont has a large share of illustrious 
names. 



The high character of Middlebury graduates is 
shown by the fact that in its first 100 years among its 
graduates were 32 college Presidents, and 9 Governors 
of states. 

Never was there greater need than to-day for men 
of the type turned out by the hard training of 50, 100 
and 200 years ago. 

"We live in great times — the air is all 
athrob with thought and feeling. Great times 
are now being brought about, and never was 
there a time when men of steady judgment 
were more in demand." 

That is very true. The conflict on the other side of 
the water, — after the physical struggle is over, — will 
leave conditions the result of which no man can accurate- 
ly foretell. But it must be admitted that there is likely 
to be a very serious readjustment of society and Govern- 
ment and of the relations of individuals and races — also 
that this readjustment is certain to have its effect on this 
country. It is, therefore, well for those who have the 
welfare of the nation at heart to use their influence ii 
preparing for the future. 

The Nation's Since 1870 the nation has been passing 
Growth. through a remarkable period of ex- 

pansion and exploitation. What do the figures show? 



Population 


1870.. 


38,558,371 




1916.. 


100,000,000 


National Wealth 


1870. . 


$ 30,068,518,000 




1912.. 


. $187,739,071,000 


Miles of Railroad 


1870.. 


52,922 




1910.. 


249,992 


Total Individual 






Bank Deposits 


1870.. . 


$ 2,182,512,744 




1910. . . 


$17,024,067,607 


Imports 


1870. . . 


$ 435,958,408 




1914. . . 


$ 1,893,925,657 


Exports 


1870.. . 


$ 392,771,768 




1914. . . 

4 


$ 2,364,579,148 



The total number of immigrants arriving in this 
country from 1870 to 1910 inclusive was 20,698,610, or 
an average of 517,465 a year; oftentimes more than a 
million a year arrived. 

These figures show enormous growth and wealth far 
beyond the dreams of our citizens before the Civil War. 
With this increased wealth have come greater comfort 
and health for the poor, the moderately, well off, and all. 
We see the result on every side, — better types of dwel- 
lings, better sanitation, better railroad service, better 
lights, greater attention to the sick and poor. Yet, we 
have not succeeded in eliminating discontent and unrest, 
and we seem to have lost some of the marked and de- 
sirable characteristics of our forefathers. 

To accomplish the results of the last fifty years tire- 
less energy and prodigious work were necessary, — work 
to plan, work to execute. Because of the apparently un- 
limited natural resources of our country and the great 
immigration, we have not thought sufficiently of condi- 
tions that will confront us when we are compelled to 
husband our resources in order to compete with other 
nations. These conditions now face us. We surely can 
help ourselves if we try to practice the old-fashioned 
characteristics that many are pleased to call New Eng- 
land habits. These characteristics and habits are not as 
prevalent as in the old days, — traits that built up the 
country from the Revolution to the Civil War, and which 
I am glad to know Middlebury College encourages. 

As your catalogue points out, the location of the 
college favors economy, — a sterling habit that seems to 
be lost sight of in this period of extravagance, due, 
doubtless, to the great increase in wealth. We are ex- 
travagant as individuals, and our Government, — Fed- 
eral, State, municipal, and county, — reflects that spirit. 
As a result, we are piling up debts that will be a burden 
upon many a county and town, and the state and na- 
tion for years to come. 

I am engaged in the business of transportation, — 
one of about 1,800,000 people employed in the United 
States in that important work. 



Middlebury's gifted poet, John Godfrey Saxe, born 
100 years ago, in his "Rhyme of the Rail," speaks of the 
liunianizing effect of the railroad : 

"Men of different stations. 
In the eye of Fame, 
Here are very quickly 
Coming to the same. 
High and lowly people, 
Birds of every feather 
On a common level. 
Traveling together." 

Suppose each man in the service could save onh^ 
one cent a day. It would amount to $5,400,000 a year. 
That saving would help to provide additional facilities 
which are sorely needed in many parts of the country. 
Numerous other simple examples could be given of the 
importance of economy and the practice of old-fash- 
ioned New England thrift. 

The college in the country has a direct influence for 
sane and economical living which is an offset to the ex- 
travagance of the great cities. 



We Must There is another habit that is not so 

Work! Work! prevalent as formerly — the habit of 
Work! work. Those who made the American 

nation what it is to-day worked long 
and hard. The spirit of hard work now seems to be 
lacking and we hear constantly that eight hours or less 
work a day is all that a strong, healthy man should do. 
Where would the United States now be if our fore- 
fathers had been content with eight hours' work a day? 
Where will the United States be in the race for future 
commercial supremacy among the nations if this spirit 
continues? We have ships to build, railroads to develop, 
an army and navy to be manned, and countless tasks to 
perform. Every patriotic man should give the best that 
is in him, not the least, if we are to avoid serious diffi- 
culties at home and abroad. 



Then there was the old-fashioned habit of prompt 
obedience to lawful authority. Some of the commer- 
cial, financial and industrial difficulties of recent years 
can be traced to the fact that daring and ambitious men 
did not pay attention to the laws, man-made, and na- 
ture-made. We cry out against industrial accidents and 
blame the corporations, and yet a large proportion of 
all accidents are traceable directly to failure to obey law- 
ful authority. 

I recently received a report from the Interstate 
Commerce Commission about the accidents on the New 
Haven Road since 1911. All in which there were fatal- 
ities to passengers, the report said, were due to the fail- 
ure of some man or men to obey the rules. These men 
were good average men and did not mean to disobey the 
rules, and did not mean to cause accidents, but the result 
indicates that the spirit of complete and prompt obedi- 
ence to lawful authority is not as prevalent as it should 
be. 



Ease, The great growth of the nation, the in- 

Luxury and creased wealth, the luxury and extrava- 

Extravagance. gance, the ease of living, and the desire 
for amusement have made some of the 
old-fashioned, sterling characteristics and habits seem 
less necessary and desirable to the present generation. 
Yet, if we are to prepare properly for the future, we 
must pay attention to these simple, homely qualities and 
train young men and women to believe in them. 

Without character, high sense of duty and willing- 
ness to work long and hard, all the "Preparedness" 
parades and meetings will be of little avail. 

I sincerely believe that in a serious crisis the Ameri- 
can people would, in time, rise to any emergency, but it 
would be far better if the daily lives, the manners and 
customs of the people were so adjusted that a serious 
crisis should not be necessary to arouse the people to 
their full duty to the country, individually, socially and 
politically. 



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Oliver Goldsmith said: 



"111 fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, 
Where wealth accumulates and men decay; 
Princes and lords may flourish, or may fade; 
A breath can make them as a breath has made; 
But a bold peasantry — their country's pride, 
When once destroyed can never be supplied." 

Wealth has accumulated in the United States to a 
marvelous extent. It has brought much good and some 
harm to those who have not the moral fibre to differen- 
tiate between good and evil. And there has been too 
great drift away from the country to the city. 

College Influence. 

The college in the country is furnishing each year 
graduates, both men and women, who go out into our 
national life trained in some of these good, old-fashioned 
doctrines of self-denial, economj^ thrift, willingness to 
work and obedience to lawful authority and a high sense 
of duty. Such men and women help to correct slothful 
and selfish tendencies. 

And so, while I believe in and appreciate very much 
the splendid work that has been done and is being done, 
and the great opportunities offered by the larger univer- 
sities, I also feel that in our national life there is abun- 
dant opportunity for the so-called smaller colleges to 
create strong characters, men and women, who will be 
most important factors in the very difficult work this 
country must perform in the next twenty-five years un- 
der the new and changed economic conditions which con- 
front all the world. 



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